Ill-Made Decisions
by Summer Leigh Wind
Summary: Severus knew they were going to call him crazy, but he wasn't going to regret trying to change the life of the green-eyed boy's mother. One-Shot. Mettle sequel.


**_Ill-Made Decisions_**

* * *

Walking the vaulted corridors of Hogwarts with Quirinus, Severus made sure to keep his eyes directed toward his feet as his best mate lead him to the school's dungeons where the potions's classroom was located. Bumping him in the shoulder, the blond made Severus look up.

"I know you don't want to be _staring_ at people, but, c'mon, Sev! At least take a peak now and then!" Quirinus exclaimed in a harsh whisper.

Curling his black hair back, Severus wished he'd pulled it back today. His mum had always told him he looked very gloomy the way he walked with his head down and he knew that had to do with the length of his hair, but he liked the protection it could provide too much to cut it short like Quirinus's. Giving the blond a hesitant grin, he shrugged, "I suspect I'll get to see it all someday."

"Well, what if I put it like this? I'm not going to be here to guide you every day. I got my classes to be at and thankfully, as it's the first week, the professors don't mind us firsties popping in a little late. What are you going to do when I can't lead you to your classes?"

Severus really hadn't thought that far ahead yet, truthfully, but he knew he'd figure it out when the time came. After all, he'd seen blind people walk around without guides; they got around to where they had to go somehow...

Anxiously gnawing on the inside of his cheek, Severus met his friend's eyes and tried not to recall the manic look to them when Quirinus got burned alive from trying to grab the green-eyed boy Severus loathed and felt protective over all at the same time. "I'm sorry," he apologized with little else to say, "I know you have classes..."

Quirinus gave his back a firm thwack and smiled, "Hey, hey, no apologies. I don't mind helping! You're my best mate, remember?"

"And you're mine," Severus replied with great conviction as he stopped mid-step to ensure the blond knew how deeply he felt about him.

Chuckling, the other boy gave his sleeve a tug and said, "Now that that's cleared up, let us get to potions. And, Sev, d'you think you can make it back to the Great Hall from your class?"

Sending a skirting glance around as he attempted to meet no one's eyes, Severus decided he could. Or, he'd try, anyway.

"Yes," he answered.

Quirinus sighed, "That's a relief. It's good to know you've been paying some attention to where we're going today!"

Feeling his face heat up at what the blond was referencing, he muttered, "My prefect, Andromeda Black, didn't take points from me for being out past curfew the other night..."

Humming his agreement, the blond remarked, "Though, the fact you got lost between the Great Hall and your dorm _is _rather ridiculous given you'd gotten to the Hall just fine that morning..."

"I'd just followed Evan and Avery that morning. After dinner, however..."

Giving a patient nod, Quirinus chided gently, "And that's why you're supposed to leave books for dorms and the library, silly."

Flushing, Severus dropped his gaze to his feet again and was very much glad his hair fell in such a way that only his Father's nose peeked through his thin curtain of black hair.

Quirinus gave his wrist a soothing squeeze before he finished taking him to potions. "Oh look, very nice, a spot second row from the front right in the middle!" he proclaimed happily to Severus when they came into the classroom. "There, you can just stare at the notes and never have to look at Professor Slughorn if you don't want to!"

Severus smiled slightly and thanked the blond for what had to be the twentieth time today, "Thank you, Quirinus, it means a lot to me..."

"I like helping," he waved off. Then, with one last grin, he said, "See you after lunch!"

And once again, Severus was all alone.

Peering through his hair, he gave a sigh of relief when he saw there was only a few other milling toward the sides of the room.

He could do this.

He _had _to.

Potions was his best subject and if he let his visions get in the way of that, then he should give up his dreams of being a potions master right now. Surprises could occur at any moment when brewing alone, but while in a class? His mum had sworn brewing in potions class had been the most difficult place she'd ever done such a dangerous art. Thirty some students with varying skills, interest and finesse lead to many distractions and complications that could lead to one ruining their work, Severus's mum had said, so one had to concentrate extra hard to make sure they didn't mess their potion up.

And his mum never had to contend with vision like he did, Granny had so unhelpfully pointed out while they assisted him with packing for Hogwarts the day before he left.

Trying to not let all the worrisome things get to him, Severus went to the spot Quirinus had so kindly pointed out and began the methodical process of unpacking and setting up his brewing station.

* * *

"-today we're just going to have you try your hands at something simple. How many of you have heard of the Cure for Boils potion? I see. Well, I suppose we'll have to fix that! Especially for you pranksters out there! Ha, aha, ha, I'm sure it'll come in handy for y-"

Professor Slughorn's babble-filled speech was cut off by a girl's falsetto cry from the doorway, "I'm sorry, Professor! I got lost and-"

The rotund man gave a wave of his hand, "No worries, my child, it happens to the best of us!" he chuckled. "Now, let's see...how about you take a seat next to Mister Snape-Prince?"

There was the quiet clunk of a satchel hitting the stones of the potions's room floor.

"Mister Snape-Prince, would you mind giving a little wave for Miss...?"

"Evans, sir," the girl replied.

Severus stuck up his hand high and kept his face carefully trained on his notes as he continued scribbling corrections in his potions book.

"Thank you, Mister Snape-Prince - my that's a mouthful, is there one or the other you prefer, young man?"

Severus chanced a glance at his head of house's chin and shook his head, "I don't, sir," he answered.

Beefy finger tapping at his chin, the portly professor made a low noise in the back of his throat and declared, "I truly hope you mean that, young man, as I think I'm going to just call you Mister Prince from now on. Are you related to Eileen Prince, perchance, young man?"

Sighing, Severus nodded as he saw the girl take her seat beside him and begin to unpack her satchel.

"She was excellent at potions," Professor Slughorn remarked happily, "I'm sure you will not disappoint me either!

The boy mutely continued scritch-scratching in his book and after a bit of rustling of his papers and clearing of his throat, Slughorn continued on with his long-winded directions.

A finger prodded at his arm.

Before he thought better of it, Severus turned his head fully and was pulled deep, deep inside a pair of bright green eyes.

If Severus had not been so used these god-awful premonitions, he would have started screaming at what he witnessed. Lily was screaming, there was a baby crying and then she was falling lifeless to the ground, her dying eyes on the wailing face of her baby.

A little cherubic face with large, teary green eyes...

"You're _his _mum," Severus wheezed.

The girl - Evans - scrunched her fine red brows together and stuck her lip out. "Huh?" she murmured.

Shaking his head, the boy put on his best smile and tried to use the airy, breezy tone Granny used so often when she meant to drop a subject, "Oh, nothing, just thinking," Severus answered.

Still eying him, the other commented, "You look a little sick, you're so pale."

"I'm fine," the boy insisted. "What's your name?"

The redhead continued to frown, but answered, "Lily Evans."

Severus put out his hand, "Severus Snape-Prince," he told her.

Taking the hand, Lily smiled, "You know, I know some Snapes. Their mum liked to take them to the same park me and my sister used to play at. The littlest boy, Todd, was a real sweetheart. Very shy - but it's no surprise, he's got this giant nose and these ears that stick out and turn red when he's embarrassed."

He touched his own nose and tried to recall his father. The images were very distorted and dark, his clearest picture of the man was of him tall and towering over him and his Mum - probably from the night they ran away from him. Severus's mum didn't have pictures of his father, but she'd pointed out the features that belonged to Tobias. Such as Severus's eyes, his nose, the black of his hair, the curl of his lips when he was mad.

"Huh," was all Severus could choke out, "That would be interesting, I suppose, but my father's dead."

Lily's face morphed into a shocked look, "Oh - really? I'm - that's - erm."

"I was really little, I don't recall much of my father," the boy told the girl.

The redhead gave a sad smile. "I'm sorry, though."

"Hm," Severus murmured as he heard the steady din of Professors Slughorn's voice tapered off.

Looking at her potions kit as Slughorn went to sit behind his desk, Lily asked, "Do you know what we're doing today?"

"Cure for boils, don't worry, I got it," Severus explained as he brought out his own store of ingredients and propped up his edited version of the potions book in front of he and Lily.

The redhead made a grab for the book.

"I want to help," she insisted.

Severus sighed, "Then can you heat the cauldron for me?" he inquired.

She did so and then made an impatient noise when she finished - obviously looking for more direction as to help with the potion. Severus rattled off a few simple tasks as he continued to chop up and crush the necessary ingredients.

By the end, when the potion was smoking a successful pink, Severus considered Lily. She'd done quite well with helping him. Maybe he'd ask her to be his partner permanently for potions; if he could stop thinking about the green-eyed boy that was her son at the sight of her, anyway.

Slughorn popping over gave loud praise for a job well done and declared they'd get extra credit for how great they'd done on their first assignment.

Severus didn't need to look around to know at least a few classmates were glaring at his back.

Soon afterwards, they were told to bottle their potions and clean up. Doing so, Severus was surprised when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking to Lily, he was dazzled by her smile and wondered if this was what his mum had felt for his dad the first time she saw him.

"That was fun, we'll be partners again next time, right?"

Nodding vigorously, Severus gave his own small smile, "Definitely, you did well today. I think next time we should see about teaching you how to chop things properly."

Her green eyes sparkled, "You think? That'd be neat! I was super nervous about this class, I never was good at helping my mum in the kitchen..."

"It's a little different, you'll find," Severus assured her kindly.

Finishing with her cleanup, the girl swung her bag over her shoulder and said brightly, "See you next class, Severus!"

Gut twisting at the memory of Lily's death, the boy snagged her arm. "Hey, can I give you some advice - not about potions?" he implored. Green eyes met his black ones and Severus took a breath, "I know this sounds nuts, but don't marry any men with dark hair, alright?"

"Uh..." Lily mumbled.

Severus took her hand in his desperation, "I know, I know, you think I'm bonkers, but, please, it won't end well for your or your child."

Lily extracted her hand and told the boy, "I have to get to lunch."

"Yeah," Severus relented as he let his shoulders slump.

The girl looked him over once.

"I'll keep what you said in mind," she concluded before taking her first halting steps toward the classroom door.

"Lily?" he called.

The girl glanced back once more. "Yes?" she asked.

Swallowing thickly, he questioned, "Are we…are we still going to be potion partners next class?"

Lily searched his face, finally, she said, "Yes, we already agreed to be and I'd rather not take my chances next time and end up with a toe-rag like Potter or Black."

"Wicked." The boy smiled and watched as she finally disappeared from the room once and for all.

Severus dropped back into his chair and hid his face. He was an absolute idiot.

It was only going to be a matter of time before the school started call him Screwy-Severus or Psycho-Prince. He wouldn't even blame Lily for it, either, because he _knew _better. He knew he was supposed to keep what he saw to himself, but...

Severus thought of the green-eyed boy.

The memories he'd given him.

The ones where he'd played with Lily.

The ones where James Potter and his friends bullied him.

The ones of where he became the Death Eater his mum made him swear never to become.

There was a whole lifetime that he'd been saved from thanks to his mum. Severus felt the very least he ought to do was try and do the same for someone - especially for Lily. The girl who helped create the boy he loved and hated in equal measures.

* * *

**Because this seemed to be something everybody wanted to know.**

**So, how do you feel about Severus and Lily's first meeting? Realistic? Yes? No?**

**Thank you for reading and please leave a review!**


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